termbox-go

Pros of tcell

• More comprehensive and feature-rich, supporting a wider range of terminal capabilities
• Better handling of color and style attributes, including RGB color support
• More active development and maintenance

Cons of tcell

• Slightly more complex API, which may require a steeper learning curve
• Potentially higher memory usage due to its more extensive feature set

Code Comparison

termbox-go:

tb.Init()
defer tb.Close()

tb.SetCell(0, 0, 'H', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.Flush()

tcell:

s, _ := tcell.NewScreen()
s.Init()
defer s.Fini()

s.SetContent(0, 0, 'H', nil, tcell.StyleDefault)
s.Show()

Both libraries provide similar basic functionality for terminal manipulation, but tcell offers more advanced features and greater flexibility. While termbox-go has a simpler API, tcell's more comprehensive approach may be beneficial for complex terminal applications. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and the level of control you need over the terminal environment.

Pros of tview

• Higher-level abstraction with ready-to-use widgets and layouts
• Built-in support for mouse events and flexible input handling
• More actively maintained with frequent updates and improvements

Cons of tview

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Potentially higher resource usage for complex applications
• Less flexibility for low-level terminal manipulation

Code Comparison

termbox-go:

tb.Init()
defer tb.Close()

tb.SetCell(0, 0, 'H', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.SetCell(1, 0, 'i', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.Flush()

tview:

app := tview.NewApplication()
box := tview.NewBox().SetBorder(true).SetTitle("Hello, World!")
app.SetRoot(box, true).Run()

Summary

termbox-go provides a low-level, lightweight interface for terminal manipulation, while tview offers a higher-level abstraction with pre-built widgets and layouts. termbox-go is simpler to use for basic terminal operations but requires more manual work for complex UIs. tview simplifies creating rich terminal UIs but may have a steeper learning curve and higher resource usage. Choose based on your project's complexity and requirements.

Pros of gocui

• Higher-level abstraction for creating text-based user interfaces
• Built-in support for multiple views and layouts
• Easier to create complex TUI applications with less code

Cons of gocui

• Less flexible for low-level terminal manipulation
• Steeper learning curve for simple applications
• More opinionated design, which may not suit all use cases

Code comparison

termbox-go:

tb.Init()
defer tb.Close()

tb.SetCell(0, 0, 'H', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.SetCell(1, 0, 'i', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.Flush()

gocui:

g, err := gocui.NewGui(gocui.OutputNormal)
if err != nil {
    // handle error
}
defer g.Close()

g.SetManagerFunc(layout)
if err := g.MainLoop(); err != nil && err != gocui.ErrQuit {
    // handle error
}

Summary

termbox-go provides a lower-level interface for terminal manipulation, offering more flexibility but requiring more code for complex UIs. gocui, on the other hand, provides a higher-level abstraction, making it easier to create complex TUI applications with multiple views and layouts. However, gocui may be overkill for simple applications and has a steeper learning curve. The choice between the two depends on the specific requirements of your project and your preferred level of abstraction.

Pros of termui

• Higher-level abstraction for building terminal UIs
• Built-in widgets and layouts for faster development
• More visually appealing and feature-rich interfaces

Cons of termui

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Less flexibility for low-level terminal manipulation
• Potentially higher resource usage for complex UIs

Code Comparison

termbox-go (low-level approach):

tb.Init()
defer tb.Close()
tb.SetCell(0, 0, 'H', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.SetCell(1, 0, 'i', tb.ColorDefault, tb.ColorDefault)
tb.Flush()

termui (high-level approach):

ui.Init()
defer ui.Close()
p := widgets.NewParagraph()
p.Text = "Hi"
ui.Render(p)

termbox-go provides direct control over individual cells in the terminal, while termui offers pre-built widgets and a more abstracted rendering process. termbox-go is better suited for simple, performance-critical applications or when fine-grained control is needed. termui excels in creating complex, interactive terminal interfaces with less code but at the cost of some flexibility and potential overhead.

Pros of tui-go

• Higher-level abstraction, making it easier to create complex UIs
• Built-in widgets and layouts for faster development
• More actively maintained with recent updates

Cons of tui-go

• Larger API surface area, potentially steeper learning curve
• Less flexible for low-level terminal manipulation
• Slightly higher memory footprint due to additional abstractions

Code Comparison

termbox-go:

termbox.Init()
defer termbox.Close()

termbox.SetCell(0, 0, 'H', termbox.ColorDefault, termbox.ColorDefault)
termbox.SetCell(1, 0, 'i', termbox.ColorDefault, termbox.ColorDefault)
termbox.Flush()

tui-go:

root := tui.NewHBox(
    tui.NewLabel("Hello, world!"),
)

ui, err := tui.New(root)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}
ui.Run()

Summary

termbox-go provides a lower-level API for terminal manipulation, offering more flexibility but requiring more code for complex UIs. tui-go, on the other hand, offers a higher-level abstraction with built-in widgets and layouts, making it easier to create sophisticated terminal UIs quickly. However, this comes at the cost of a larger API surface area and potentially less flexibility for low-level operations. Choose termbox-go for fine-grained control or tui-go for rapid development of feature-rich terminal applications.